The absence of noticable piping on the front or sleeve cuffs, lack of a standup collar and the coat length (too long) along with lack of other details on the uniform that were common on the uniforms of Germany in the 1800's make me think that this was not a uniform for any of the army of Imperial Germany or Bavaria.

It was more likely this chap belonged to the Landsturm or Landwehr,(militia). That might explain the relatively poor fit of the uniform and lack of military bearing. The white plumed helmet dates this from the late 1860-1870's. These plumed helemts became all the rage in the US Army too. Our Army up till then was strictly Francophile until the Franco-Prussian War, at which time we began to adopt German looking uniforms. To the victor goes the fashion statements I guess.

The guy is definitely an officer, in the infantry I would say, he has an infantry officers sword. Being militia would explain the out of date coat length and lack of niceties of the unform. Militia units were always the last to get those kinds of things.

Questioner's Rating

Rating(1-10)

Knowledgeability = 10

Clarity of Response = 10

Politeness = 10

Comment

Mr. Patton, thank you very much for the information on the uniform. I'm doing genealogical research for a buddy of mine and the man pictured is his 4th great-grandfather. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Jarrod